“A warm, Ted Lasso‑style celebration of Gareth Southgate’s England that proves football onstage can be funny, moving and joyfully life‑affirming for fans and newcomers alike.”
I saw Dear England at the Liverpool Empire on the 3rd March, and it turned out to be a warm, uplifting night that completely challenged what I thought football onstage could be. Going in, I found the concept rather interesting as in my head, the crossover between theatre and football was tiny- but I left feeling that the overlap is much bigger, richer and more emotional than I’d imagined.
On the surface, Dear England, written by James Graham and directed by Rupert Gold, is about Gareth Southgate (David Sturzaker) and the England team from 2018–2022. What really comes through is that it isn’t always about winning; it’s about the process, the culture and the people. The show has a very “Ted Lasso‑esque” tone- funny, heartfelt and quietly profound. It sends you out of the theatre seeing the more positive, hopeful side of life and the world. I loved looking around and seeing families, dads and grandads with kids, all sharing the experience together; it felt like the production genuinely bridged generations.
The football sequences themselves were hugely effective. The slow‑motion movement, crowd noise and tense sound design had me gripped, even when I already knew exactly how those matches turned out. I’m not a big football person and have only been to one game in my life, yet these scenes completely pulled me in. The impersonations of real‑life figures were another highlight: I could tell from the audience reaction that many of the player portrayals were spot on, and the Harry Kane impression in particular had the crowd roaring, so hats off to Oscar Gough in his theatre debut role. The ones I did know, like Gary Lineker (including a cheeky nod to his Walkers crisp adverts) felt delightfully accurate.
The show also had a lot of fun with political figures, using them to root the story in recent history. Cameos from Theresa May (complete with her infamous dancing), Liz Truss and Boris Johnson are hilarious, but they also serve as sharp little time capsules of what life felt like in those years. Because the play covers 2018–2022, it’s dealing with a period that is both “just now” and “a lifetime ago”: lockdowns, personal upheavals and national dramas. The way the production weaves these references in really underlines how the World Cup and Euros act as markers in our lives – a point made explicitly in the script when Physio Phil (Steven Dykes) talks about how you tie tournaments to life events: one World Cup you’re dating, the next you’re engaged, the next there’s a baby taking its first steps.
That idea really stayed with me. I found myself reminiscing about where I was during the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, what was happening in my life, and how those tournaments coloured the mood of the country. Seeing those years replayed onstage made me feel unexpectedly patriotic (not something I would usually call myself) and it genuinely made me want to get into football more, to feel that sense of connection to a team and a country. I came away with a huge admiration for Gareth Southgate as portrayed here: a man trying to make the “impossible job” possible by humanising the sport and treating players as people first. The refrain that “football is more than a game” doesn’t feel like a cliché in this production; it’s earned.
Visually and technically, the show is inventive and slick. The use of space and lighting keeps the stage dynamic, with the set and backdrops clearly signalling which players are onstage, where in the world we are, and which tournament or moment we’re in. Real‑life throwback footage and imagery help anchor the story in the specific World Cups and Euros being referenced. I particularly loved the unexpected ballet‑style transitions set to classical music, as well as the more modern dance sections with house tracks; they add texture and energy, and one of the ballet motifs cleverly links back to an anecdote earlier in the play.
Overall, Dear England is a genuinely feel‑good night out that works for devoted football fans and complete novices alike. If you already love the game, you’ll recognise the details and enjoy seeing your heroes and villains brought to life; if you’re more like me and not especially into football, you’ll still find a funny, thoughtful, human story about pressure, hope and belonging. And if you have a football‑mad friend or family member you’d like to tempt into the theatre, this is absolutely the show to bring them to- and, if it’s a sign of things to come, local football fans have more to look forward to, with Everton Football Legends visiting the Empire on the 28th of May.
The show is playing at the Liverpool Empire until the 7th of March, before heading to the Birmingham Hippodrome from March 10th until March 14th .
Author:
Georgia von Broembsen